Spring Crop Of Restaurants Now Blooming

Mixed Grill

Just when it looked as if there'd be no spring crop of restaurants this year, here they are.

Watch out for a Fisherman's Wharf coming soon to a town near you. In the past month, Carl Breen has added two more seafood restaurants to his local chain.

FOR THE RECORD - Published correction ran Tuesday, May 22, 1990. An item incorrectly gave the address of The Japan Samurai as 1233 Jefferson Ave. The Newport News restaurant is located at 12233 Jefferson Ave.

The latest openings are in West Point and Virginia Beach. The format of a generous, all-you-can-eat seafood buffet with a limited a la carte menu, modeled after the original Fisherman's Wharf in Hampton, doesn't vary. However, each restaurant has a slightly different focus.

In West Point, the location - right on the Mattaponi River - is the draw. Boaters can reach the restaurant by water, and docking facilities are free for those dining at the restaurant. "It's also loaded with history," says Linda Dixon, general manager of the waterfront site. Already plans are in the works for doubling the size of the restaurant.

At the Day's Inn in Virginia Beach, the familiar format is coupled with facilities for private parties and banquets.

Both restaurants carry a lunchtime buffet for $5.95 and nighty seafood dinner buffets ($13.95 in West Point; $14.95 in Virginia Beach). Children under 12 pay half price at both locations.

GARDEN OF THE HEART: The name suggests a sanctuary for meditation, but Garden of the Heart at Park Place is actually a new restaurant in premises formerly occupied by Icart's in downtown Hampton.

In his 17th such venture, owner Rodney Kuntz describes the cuisine as "nouvelle American" and attributes the name to his romantic nature.

His chef, Ricky Moore, brought in from Washington, D.C., is dishing up an eclectic menu: grilled salmon, fitatas, crab cakes, grouper, redfish, duckling with Chambord sauce, seared lamb, pork chops and chicken breast prosciutto all have their place. Average price for dinners, including salad and vegetables, is $17. At lunchtime soups, salads and specials all are less than $5.

THE JAPAN SAMURAI: The Peninsula's second sushi bar opened this month. The 20-beat bar is part of The Japan Samurai, a newly built full-service Japanese restaurant owned by Chong Joo of Newport News.

In addition to sushi, it has a full Japanese menu, a cocktail bar and facilities for banquets. Its other specialty is hibachi-style dishes of chicken, shrimp and steak. Dinners, including rice and vegetables, range from $11 to $18.

The Japan Samurai, 1233 Jefferson Ave., Newport News. 249-4400. Open daily for dinner at 5 p.m.; plans call for the addition of lunch hours at the end of the month.

NEW STORE: Another business aiming to tap into an undersubscribed market is the new specialty drink store, Beer and Wine International.

The two-month-old store carries more than 700 wine labels from 18 countries and more than 150 imported and domestic beers. The beer selection includes KB Lager from Australia, Hefeweiser from Germany, Old Peculiar from England and Aegean from Greece.

Manager Michael Niblick welcome special orders and offers discounts on sales by the case. Wine tastings and a newsletter are regular features of the store's services. Niblick touts the store, which also carries gourmet food items, as having the best drink selection and most knowledgeable staff around.

NEW CAFE: The Barking Dog Cafe has taken the place of Cafe Zoe at the foot of the Oceans 11 Condominiums in Virginia Beach. Keith Korn, chef and co-owner, describes the fare as "contemporary French-American bistro food."